The Road That Killed a City

From its one-time status as one of America’s most prosperous cities, Hartford, CT, is now one of the poorest—no thanks to its mid-twentieth-century urban renewal projects.

The Pedalling Pastor

This bicycling pastor’s new book offers valuable advice for any Strong Towns advocate—religious or otherwise.

Bikeability, Stange, Top StoryJay StangeMarch 9, 2022biking, bikes, bikeability, bicycling, Faith Featured, faith communities, human scale, walkability, transportation, active transportation, car-lite

CityNerd Runs Down America's Most Humongous Parking Lots

“There may be no greater indication of car dependency in the United States than the sheer number of massive parking craters that litter our cities,” says this YouTuber.

Parking, Stange, Video, Top StoryJay StangeMarch 3, 2022Parking, parking landing page, parking, parking minimums, urbanism, CityNerd

Final Week for Entries: Make Sure the World Knows About Your Strong Town

The things your town does to become more sustainable, resilient, and financially healthy are big news. So let’s tell the world!

Announcement, Strongest Town Contest, Top StoryJay StangeFebruary 14, 2022Strongest Town 2022, announcement

10 Surprisingly Walkable Neighborhoods in the Least Walkable Cities

This YouTube channel introduces us to the hidden gems in some otherwise #PedestrianUnfriendly cities.

Video, Walkability, Stange, Neighborhoods, Top StoryJay StangeFebruary 10, 2022walkability, CityNerd, pedestrians, neighborhood, Neighborhoods

Texas DOT Doubles Down on Urban Highway Expansions

San Antonio residents were working on a downtown road diet and neighborhood redevelopment…until TxDOT decided to completely ignore the will of 78% of local voters.

#NoNewRoads, #SlowtheCars, Roads and Streets, Stange, Transportation, Top StoryJay StangeFebruary 8, 2022DOT, Texas, Houston, #NoNewRoads, #SlowTheCars, road diet, Road Diet, roads, streets, STROADS

A Venture into the Urban Wilderness: CityNerd's Field Guide to Stroads

Nerd out on this YouTube channel as it shows us some of the intended (and unintended) consequences of car-oriented street design.

Video, Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 31, 2022CityNerd, STROADS, Nevada

Time for a Little "Self-Gentrification"

“You don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one,” says Majora Carter in her new book, Reclaiming Your Community.

Housing, Neighborhoods, Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 20, 2022gentrification, Gentrification, housing, neighborhood, neighborhood revitalization, Neighborhoods, blight, books

Q: Are You a Democrat or Republican? A: I'm Non-Binary.

Last week, Chuck did an AMA on Reddit and received a ton of great questions. Here’s some of the highlights!

Stange, Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 17, 2022Social Media, Strong Towns Community, Not Just Bikes, community building

The Bell Tolls for Thee, Maine...

Many local jurisdictions put off paying the bills for big capital projects. But this month, the bell tolls for Maine.

#DotheMath, #InfrastructureCrisis, Infrastructure, Stange, Transportation, Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 11, 2022highways, highway spending, toll roads, Infrastructure, infrastructure, transportation spending, transportation, #DoTheMath

Zoning Desire Paths

Just as kids ignore sidewalks in favor of walking a more efficient path through the grass, homeowners in California are voting with their toolbelts to create zoning desire paths.

Housing, Zoning, Top Story, StangeJay StangeJanuary 7, 2022zoning, housing cost, housing affordability, housing, housing crisis, Housing, ADUs, single-family, multi-family, California, suburban experiment, suburbs

Hartford Land Bank Invests in Human Infrastructure

Connecticut’s Hartford Land Bank isn’t just stewarding the rehabilitation of its community—it’s also bringing up the next generation of local small-scale developers.